factory

In juggling, a pattern where one ball is carried up, across, and dropped into the other hand. It is fairly easy to do (one of the harder forms of columns), yet its square form makes it look very distinctive.

Start by juggling two balls in your right hand. (Left-handers: you should learn this both ways round anyway. So there.) As the rightmost ball goes up, bring your left hand up parallel to it. Now as the middle ball comes up, bring your left hand flat across and over the whole pattern, so that it ends up being the rightmost ball in the pattern. As you throw the next ball up, your left hand releases the ball it is holding, and shoots back down to grasp the falling ball. You are now back to the start position.

You have two choices now - either repeat the same sequence of moves, or switch straight into the exact mirror of the pattern; your left hand juggles two in one hand, while the right carries a ball up and across the pattern. This looks nicer than the one-sided version, so try it when you feel able.

Whichever version you are doing, remember to keep the carries straight and sharp. This is what gives the pattern its appeal (and its name). Oh, and one more thing: when carrying the ball, make sure you display it to your audience; don't clench it in a fist. (For extra kudos, place all fingers on top of the ball, and pinchthe back of the ball with your thumb, so that the audience cannot see you holding it. This gives the impression of a magnet pulling the ball up and into the factory.)

The distinguished engineer Owen Williams, of the early 1900's, described it well when he said "the factory building is the shell surrounding a process". I believe that without factories, the Industrial Revolution most likely would have never happened.

The beginning of the 20th century is seen as a period of industrial expansion in the United States. The Westinghouse factories in the US were considered to be among the most modern factories of their time with the best working conditions.
Most women that worked in these factories during that time performed repetitious assembly tasks with men doing the “skilled labor”.

As the 20th century has moved along we have seen innovations like the assembly line and computer automation, and improvements to safety and working conditions like powerful overhead lights and safety guards on machines. These days you will find factories manufacturing everything from flutes to Boeing 747’s. We can only wait and see what the 21st century will bring us.